Soil Characteristics

Soil Characteristics

1. Overgrazing

   • ownership of cattle = wealth
   • bare and vunerable to wind erosion
   • removes vegetation cover
   • trampled
     • compacted
       • less porous
     • more run-off after rain
   • wells dug
     • watertable drops
   • nomadic
     • allowed soil to recover
   • government pushed to settling

2. Overcroping

   • continuously planting land
   • soil not allowed to recover
   • land becomes barren and bare
   • encouraged to grow groundnuts for export
   • monocultivation
   • exhausts soil of it's nutrients
   • gradually becomes infertile
   • many farmers in debt

3. Deforestation

   • large scale clearing of forests
   • slash and burn methods
   • ashes used to fertilise
   • roots bind soil particles
   • prevents leaching
   • absorb moisture
   • dried and burned by sun
   • wind erosion
   • .5m trees cleared annually
   • reduces amount of OM